A major concern of the owner of a pet or other animal, as well as the public in general, is the disposition of solid or semi-solid excrement of pets. This concern extends to lawns, public parks and other grassy areas and to the structures where the animal is housed on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, such as kennels, barns, stalls and the like.
Removal of a pet's waste is a primary concern for many pet owners. It can be linked to unsanitary conditions, damage to landscaping and unsightly conditions. Known practical solutions for removal of such waste require a human to search for, identify, and remove the waste if the owner does not want the waste to remain on the premises. Excrement disposition associated with housing structures for dogs and horses, and/or other animals require routine cleaning and/or other treatment on a regular basis to avoid matters such as offensive odors and/or the spread of infectious diseases.
“Walking” of pets, in particular, for purposes of permitting the animal to relieve their kidneys or bowels is commonplace and can be the source of serious objections by neighbors or members of the public. Prohibition of the “walking” of an animal except within designated areas, provides localization of the problem of waste removal, but still requires human intervention to maintain sanitary conditions.
It is therefore desirable that there be provided a method and/or device which is capable of autonomously detecting, treating and/or collecting of solid or semi-solid animal excrement disposed on a surface, particularly a grassy surface.